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Basil Charles Godfrey Place
| death_date = | placeofburial = Corton Denham Cemetery | birth_place =Little Malvern, Worcestershire | death_place =Holborn, London | allegiance = | branch = Royal Navy | serviceyears = | rank =Rear Admiral | unit = | commands =Midget Submarine X.7 | battles =Second World War Korean War | awards =Victoria Cross Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Distinguished Service Cross Cross of Valour (Poland) }} Rear Admiral Basil Charles Godfrey Place VC, CB, CVO, DSC (19 July 1921 – 27 December 1994) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Details He was 22 years old, and a lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 22 September 1943 at Kåfjord, North Norway, Lieutenant Place, commanding Midget Submarine X.7, and another lieutenant (Donald Cameron) commanding Midget Submarine X.6, carried out a most daring and successful attack on the German Battleship Tirpitz. The two submarines had to travel at least 1,000 miles from base, negotiate a mine-field, dodge nets, gun defenses and enemy listening posts. Having eluded all these hazards they finally placed the charges underneath the ship where they went off an hour later, doing so much damage that Tirpitz was out of action for months. The full citation was published in a supplement to the London Gazette of 18 February 1944 (dated 22 February 1944) and read: Further information Godfrey Place was awarded the Polish Cross of Valour for his service as liaison officer in the Polish submarine [[ORP Sokół|ORP Sokół]] and the Distinguished Service Cross for his role in the sinking of the Italian submarine Guglielmotti by [[HMS Unbeaten (N93)|HMS Unbeaten]] off Sicily in March 1942.Obituary, Rear-Admiral Godfrey Place VC. The Independent, 30 December 1994. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19941230/ai_n14855703 In 1950, he took the unusual step for a submariner of transferring to the Fleet Air Arm, training as a pilot and gaining his "wings" in 1952. Later that year he saw action in the Korean War, flying the Sea Fury in 801 Squadron from the deck of the carrier [[HMS Glory (R62)|HMS Glory]]. He later achieved the rank of rear-admiral. The medal His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Imperial War Museum in London. References *British VCs of World War 2 (John Laffin, 1997) *Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999) *The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997) *Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995) External links *Location of grave and VC medal (Somerset) Category:1921 births Category:1994 deaths Category:Royal Navy admirals Category:Royal Navy submarine commanders Category:Fleet Air Arm aviators Category:Royal Navy officers of World War II Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) Category:Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Category:Royal Navy recipients of the Victoria Cross Category:Royal Navy personnel of the Korean War Category:British World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross Category:People from Malvern Hills (district) Category:Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland)